Ship&#39;s-course recorder.



No. 670,861. Patented Mar. 26, |90I'.

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SHIPS COURSE RECORDER.

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No. 670,86l. Panmted Mar. 26, wol. u. HoPE; SHIPS COAURSEBECDRDER.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1900.1 (Nb Model.)

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No. 670,861. Patented Mar. 26, |901. J. HOPE.

SHIPS COURSE RECORDER.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 190D.=

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No. 670,86I. Patented Mar. 26, i901.

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SHIPS COURSE H-ECURDER (Application led Apr. 25. 1000.:

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ATTORNEYS No. 670,86I. Patented Mar. 26, |901` J. HOPE. SHIPS COURSERECORDER.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1900,; (No Model.)

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JOHN HOPE, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, ASSGNOR` OE ONE-HALF TO VILLIAM EDVARDBUOKLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

SHlPjS-GURSE RECORDER.

SEIGIFICATEGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,861, dated March26, 1901.

Application 'filed April 25, 1900. Serial No. 14,298. (No model.)

Be it known that l, JOHN HOPE, engineer, a subject of the Queen ofEngland, and a resident of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShips-Oourse Recorders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to apparatus for continuously recording ona strip of paper or the like the direction and variations of a shipsmovements, or, in other words, the direction sailed by a ship, thevariation of its compass, and the time of the several records,

thus producing a permanent log,- of the course run by the ship.

The service of a satisfactory and reliable record or log to owners7insurers, or others and to the officers of the ship themselves or one orother of them is Well recognized, for it is well known that incollisions the course of a ship at the time of the collision isadiflicult fact to ascertain afterward, as evidence on the peint issubsequently extremely conflicting. Also through inefficiency andinattention of the steersman time on a passage is frequently lostowing,` to the fact that deviations from the true course involve alengthened distance of running and also a retardation of speed.Furthermore, such an instrument is serviceable in case of a ship beingwilfully and maliciously put off her course for any wrongful object oraim,acts of this kin d (which the parties are most anxious to conceal)being ordinarily also veryhard to prove in evidence.

Of the several types of ships recording,` apparatus or compasses towhich this invention relates it is that in which there is employed astrip of paper cr the like, which is suitably moved by a motor-say aspring` motorpast an intermittently-actuated marker, and on which stripthe record is marked by the marker, the marker itself havingits positioncontrolled, so as always to retain a constant north and south or eastand west or other desired position, While the body and general mechanismof the instrument of course moves about the axis of the arbor of themagnets with the ship as it deviates from the course it is sailing` ineither direction, and in a further respect it also has reference to thattype of such apparatus in which a plurality of markers or markingdevices are used, the purpose and end of which is to indicateautomatically the main direction of the course a ship istraveling-namely, whether it is sailing,` in a northward or southward oreastward or westward course. Apparatus of this kindt'. c.,possessingthese characteristics-is well known; and the object of thepresent invention is mainly to provide improvements in respect of themode of working these parts or carrying;` out these actions and toconstruct and arrange them and other parts accessory to them more simplyand inexpensively and at the same time providing an instrumentpossessing a high degree of accuracy and one which is thoroughlypractical.

As already stated, ariparatus having mechanisms such as referred to arewell known, and examples of them are to be found in the specications ofLetters Patent of the United States to Farciot, No. 13,250, of 1889, andto Peverly, No. 15,017, of 1856, and in the British Letters Patent tolNrigley, No. 13,524 of 1889, to Hope, No.9,675 of 1891, and No. 9,1196,oflSQS, and to Berg, No. 13,334 of 1885. Therefore no claim to noveltygenerally of any of the characteristics comprised in the above patentsis made under the invention.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying`drawings, which illustrate niyimprovements and show a complete organizedships-course-recording apparatus or compass in which these improvementsare involved.

Figure 1 is an outside elevationof theapparatus. Fig. 2 shows theapparatus in longitudinal section. Eig. 3 is a plan showing the card,upper magnetY and upper platform; and Fig. 4 is a plan showing the underside of the platform and parts attached to this side. Fig. 5 is a planshowing' the lower controllingmagnets, intermediate table, and theplatform which carries the Wholeinstrument, the upper 'table being,`removed. Fig. 6 is a similar pian to Fig. with the second platformremoved. Fig. 7 is a plan showing' the under side of the second orintermediate table and IOO parts attached to it, and Fig. 8 is a planshowing the underside of the i nstrumenttimepiece Ol liOiOTlllGCllLlllSlll.

Referring to the drawings, d is the upper table, Z) is the intermediateor second table, and c is the main platform carrying the wholeinstrument, while d is a supportingplate with a hole in it andsupporting the platform c at its edge, Vlhe plate CZ would be fixed andsupported by or ferm a part of the compassbox.

ir, is the strip of paper on which the record is to be taken or marked.

5v is the storage-roller for the blank diagram strip or sheet, and iu?and are the drawingolf or paper-moving barrels and ceiling-on barrels,respectively.

9;" is a guiding-roller over which the paper passes on its way to thetable a.

'lhe table a has a plaie a upon it which projects out in the form of asemicircle a2 in the Front. his plate is separable from@ and is normallyheld down by a thumb-screw a3 on either side. rlhe circular projectingportion a2 stands a little distance above the surface of the table a,and the paper strip al passes through this space between d2 and a, beingguided and led up through a slot in the table by rollers a and a5, andit passes from the end ofthe table a to the roller x2 over the rollerai.

Above the table a and the plate a' a magnet e is mounted, and thismagnet has attached to it two marking-pens j'. Above this magnet thereis a compass-card e', which, if desired, may carry the pens instead ofthe magnet. This magnet does not oscillate on itself out of thehorizontal plane, but is supported by an arbor c2, the lower end ofwhich tits and works in a socket ou a movable support, hereinafterdescribed, while the upper end works in a bush g, carried on the endofthe bracket QQ which is secured on the upper surface of the plate a.rihe arbor c2 is threaded and passes through a bush c3, carrying themagnet e, and has a disk el upon it. By holding this disk c4 andrevolving the magnet c about its arbor it will be seen that the magnetcan be adjusted vertically up and down on the arbor to raise the pens fcloser to or farther from the paper.

A spring-arm h is fixed on the under side oi' the bracket g and disk c4and is moved up and down by a thu nib-screw 7t',which works in the armof the bracket g. By screwing the screw h up through the bracketthespring 7L lifts the magnet up against the bush gand holds it tight, sothat the marking parts cannot move about when the apparatus is beingcarried by the hand or in transit, die. By screwing the screw h downthrough the bracket the disk cl and magnets and parts connected with itare lowered and the spring-arm is moved out of Contact, so freeing themagnet.

The magnet e is not a controlling-magnet for controlling the position ofthe pens f,vbut is controlled by other and entirely separate magnets t',inclosed in the case t" on the second or intermediate table h, the arboror axis 2 of which is coincident with, but entirely separate from, thearbor e2 of the magnet c. The magnets fi (see Figs. 2 and 5) consist ofa plurality of thin steel magnetized bars conY pled together in thewell-known way, and as they retain their north and south position, as aship, with the other parts ol the apparatus or iiistrument moves whenthe ship sails` out of a straight line in sailing` its course, thesemagnets control the marker-magnet c and keep it in its north and southposition, andas the paper :t moves past the marker it is marked by thelowering of the markers f, one of which comes en to the surface of thechart,as herein after described. Only one ofthe markers marks at atiine-namely5 that marker which is standing in the front ol theinstrument at some point outside the periphery ol the circular platet2-as the paper strip .fr moves over only that half of the table a whichis beneath this plate, and the other or back half of the table a andplateaL being at a lower level, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and below thelower limitof movement of the end oi" the other marker the back markerdoes not .reach it.

The second table l), supporting the magnets t', and the table a arecarried from the platform c by columnsj.

rlhe up-and-down movement of the magnet e and markers as well as themovement of the record-paper strip c across the table a, is effected bya time-keeping spring-motor7 thc spring of which is contained in a casola beneath the platform c, being carried on a plate 7a' by bars 7a2,i'ixed on the under side ol the platform c. This s )ring is wound by anarbor 7a3, projecting tl'nough the platform c and through gearing-wheelsit". rPhe clock mechanism is of any known suitable kind and drives thedriving-arbor Z through an escapement mechanism 755 and a train ofwheels in any well-known way, and this arbor t carries the parts whichgive movement to the operating mechanismsof theii strument-namely, the'mechanism for raising and lowering the magnet e and rotating thepaper-winding-off roller or barrel x2.

The operating device referred to on the arbor l consists of a cam-diskl, having on its upper surface two sunken parts or dips Z2 and below twocam devices in. The upper face of the cam-disk Z operates-thai is, liftsand lowers-the magnet e through the following` mechanism:

On the under side of the table ZJ there is a frame n, fulcrumed at n andhaving at its opposite end in the center a small roller n2, which restson the upper face of the cam-disk Z. As the cam-disk Z' is rotated bytheclockmetor the wheel n2, and with it the frame n, is lowered when it(the wheel n2) drops into the dips Z2, and it is raised when it runs upout of these dips onto the other part of the roller-path of the disk.This up-am'l-down IOO TIO

eff/0,861

motion is transmitted from the frame n to a second frame 0, fulcrumed atits outer end at o, through bars n3, fixed on the ends of the front partof the frame n, said bars being guided in the guides n4. The bars n3have heads a5, which lie below the ends of the outer transverse barofthe frame 0, and hence as the bars n3 are raised and lowered the headsa5, acting on the frame 0, move it up and down about its fulcrum O'.

At the center of the bar of the frame o, which is acted upon by theheads n, there is a horn or projection o2, and this projects up, asshown in Fig. 2, through an openingin the table a and carries at itsouter end a socket 03, in which the lower end of the arbor e2 of themagnet c rests. Thus by the movement of the frame 0, as described, thissocket 03 is` moved up and down, and so moves the arbor e2, and with itthe magnete, up and down, the upper end of the arbor e2 merely slidingup and dow-n loosely through its upper bushbearing g.

The paper-moving roller Q02 is actuatedthat is, rotated-by the cams m asfollows: As these cams are revolved by the arbor Z they act on one endof a lever 19, fulcrumed at p, and move this end outward, and then whenthe tip of each cam passes from under the end of the lever p thisleveris moved rapidly inward toward the arbor l by a suitable spring.The cams m being of the form shown in Fig. they first move the lever pgradually in one direction. Then when their tips pass from under thelever end this lever suddenly moves back to the position forreactuation. This lever p transmits its motion to a spring-pawl p2,carried on the adjustable head p3 of connecting-bar p4, attached to oneend of the lever p, the head p3 being supported from one of the rollersupporting brackets q by a link p5. The outer end of this rod p4 isthreaded, so that the length between the tip of the pawl p2 and thelever p may be adjusted to give the requisite throw and movement of theroller 002. The action of the roller Q52 is therefore intermittent andits return is gradual, While the return of its actuating-pawl to give ita fresh actuation is rapid. The paper strip x passes under thetaking-off roller :r2 and is secured in the gap 005 of the winding-uproller 03. The rotation of this roller w3 is effected by the two Wheelsr on the roller x2, on the periphery of which the roller c3 rests. Theperipheries of these wheels fr are made in the form of sharp teeth, andthe friction of these teeth on the surface of the paper around theroller x3 causes this roller to be rotated as the roller m2 is rotated,and as the peripheralspeed of the paper coiled upon .frs will be alwaysthe same as the peripheral speed of the rollers r the rate at which thepaper is coiled upon r3 will be constant and uniform with the rate atwhich it is drawn over the platform a by the roller Q02.

In order to enable the vertical plane in which the magnets stand to beparallel Wit-h or approach the vertical plane of the mechanism carriedon the platform c, so that the marker in action shall mark on or nearthe center part of the chart and render the markings more open andlegible, the platform c is adapted to be moved or adjusted circularly inthe plate d and set at any degree which may be desired, the degreesbeing marked on the plate d, as shown in Fig. 5.

`What is claimed in respect of the hereindescribed invention isl. In aships-course-recording apparatus, the combination of markers,controlling-magnets t', freely suspended to constantly lie in themagnetic meridian under the varying position of the ship and a magnet efor controlling the position of the markers, separate from andcontrolled by said magnets t; substantially as set forth.

2. In a ships-conrse-recording apparatus, the combination of a diagramsheet or chart, controlling-magnets t', freely suspended to constantlylie in the magnetic meridian nnder the varying position of the ship andmarker-controlling magnets e, separate from and controlled by saidmagnets t', and adapted to be moved toward and away from said diagramsheet or chart; substantially as set forth.

3. In a ships-course-recording apparatus, the combination of markers,controlling-magnets t', freely suspended to constantly lie in themagnetic meridian under the varying position of the ship and a magnet efor controlling the position of the markers, separate from andcontrolled by said magnets i, the axes of said magnets t' and magnet ebeing coincident; substantially as set forth.

a. In a ships-course-recording apparatus, controlling-magnets t', anaxis 2 therefor said magnets being adapted to revolve or move about-saidaxis 2, to constantly lie in the magnetic meridian under the varyingpositions of the ship but immovable out of the line in which its axislies; and a marker-controlling magnet e, having its axis coincident withthat of the magnets t', and immovable out of the vertical line passingthrough the said axis; substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the cams Z and m di- Yrectly above one another, amain driven arbor Z; a hinged frame n, a roller n2 carried thereby saidroller resting on the face of cam Z; a taking-off roller and a lever pwith a hinge p' for operating the taking-off roller, having one endengaged with and operated by the cam m; substantially as set forth.

G. The combination of the horizontal cam Z' on the drivin g-arbor Z; thehorizontal frame n with roller n? working on the face of the cam Z'; abar n3 on either side of the frame n; guides 'a4 for guiding the barsn3; and heads 925 on the upper ends of the bars n3; substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with the upper marking-table ct of the hinged frameo, having an upwardly-projecting central part o2 carrying IOO lIO

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0n its end the socket 03,' substantially as set forth.

8. The combination With the marking-table a, marking-magnets, arbortherefor and upper support for said magnet of a detachable plate a,having a bracket g supporting the upper support of the marking-magnetarbor; Substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the magnet e; arbor e2, lower movablesocket-support o3 for the arbor, and upper bush-support g, in which saidarbor @an rise and fall vertically; substantially as set forth.

l0. The combination with the marker-magnet e, threaded arbor e2, andboss e3 Carrying the magnet e, and adapted to screw up and down on thearbor; substantially as set forth.

11. The Combination of chart-storing roller w', table d, guide-roller d4for guiding the chart beneath one part of the table, and guide-roller a5having its upper periphery level With the surface of the table forguiding said paper onto the remaining portion of the Surface of thetable; substantially as set forth.

l2. In a ships-Course ree'order, the eombi nation with a marking device,a marker-magnet, a Controlling-magnet a diagram sheet or Chart, an arborhaving said marking device adjustable thereon, a seat for the lower endof said arbor, and a tilting support `for said seat with means foroperating` the same to lift the markers, substantially as described. InWitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN HOPE. lVitnesses:

JOHN HINDLEY WALKER, FRANK. E. FLEE'rw'ooD.

